Individuals across the world have a variety of tattoos from eccentric to simple as well as everything in between. Some choose to get one or two while others have their bodies covered. Some decide to keep their bodies clean and avoid tattoos altogether. What is the meaning behind all of this? Why do we mark our skin with ink that will remain embedded in us for the remainder of our lives?
Tattoos have always been perceived as a negative work because the public has been brainwashed into associating tattoos with danger. The public opinion is that those who decide to ink their skin are doing so because they do not care about themselves and do not care about their futures. How can you say you care about your body and its purity when you slab black letters and drawings all over it?
Contrary to popular belief, I see tattoos as quite the opposite. In the past few years, tattoos have been more accepted into society and seen as less of a threat to the public. Rather than assuming a tattoo represents some type of danger, dig a little deeper. For every tattoo there is a moment in time when an individual decides they want a certain word, phrase, or photograph on their skin for the rest of their life. In that moment, they are not thinking about what it will look like in five years or if they will still want it in twenty years. It doesn't matter. In that moment, it is exactly what they want. Each tattoo tells a story reminding us to always appreciate our past.
Tattoos are a growing form of art and expression. If you look at a canvas full of delicate paint strokes and outlines bursting with color, you see beauty. We all possess a blank white canvas. Some of us leave it white. Some of us decorate it to the brim. Tattoos fill the white canvas with meaning and representation of who we are. The only person you are trying to impress is yourself.
Personally, I do not have any tattoos yet out of respect for my parents who oppose of the idea. My parents are a perfect example of the public view on the art of tattoos. The reason most people oppose is because they do not understand. My view on the matter suggests that a tattoo is one's own artwork and we should never deny ourselves the opportunity of creation. Each idea stems from the intricate mind you call your own. What good is it if we do not put our minds to use and follow our dreams without the worry of what the rest of the world will think?
A tattoo is one of the most personal things one can possess. There is some type of meaning behind each and every one, whether it is complex or simple. You can share its background with the world or keep quiet and let them wonder what it all means. It is all up to you.
If I have one piece of advice, it is this: Don't let anyone else tell you who you are or who you have to be. Express yourself in a way that makes you feel free. Let yourself go and live your life with the goal in mind of achieving happiness each and every day.
